Water crisis in state turns grave

Mumbai: The water crisis in the state has peaked, accompanied by scorching heat. Even drinking water is so scarce in the Vidarbha region that in Akola, people are forced to drink water from pits at some places.

Reportedly, people from Kawatha village in Akola said that they have to wait for two to three hours to fill one pot of water and that there are some 1,600 families in the village but not a single source of pure drinking water. Meanwhile, the rising temperatures and delayed monsoon have added to their woes.

The locals are digging pits to battle the ongoing water shortage. According to villagers, students have to adjust their study timings and school and college attendance as they have to wait to fetch water.

Each member of the family has to walk miles to get water to meet day-to-day basic needs. The villagers have also complained that they cannot drink water drawn by hand pumps as it is salty and have urged the government to provide them clean water at least for drinking purposes.

In Marathwada, too, the water crisis has taken a turn for the worse. In Latur, the people’s only source of water is tankers. Shahapur, which is just a few kilometres away from Mumbai, is also reeling under drought.